A New Beginning
by Shadow Behind The Sun
Summary: Multi-chapter. Set during the very end of Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, so SPOILER ALERT given. This story covers what happens during the last few days that the Professor, Luke, and Emmy are in Monte d'Or. New friendships will be discovered, and old ones revived. NOTE: This is strictly a friendship fiction among the characters tagged.
1. A Lovely Way to End the Evening

Just in case anyone is wondering, I do not own these characters, or the plot references from Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask. In other words, I own nothing.

Chapter 1: A Lovely Way to End the Evening

It had been a long day to say the least. The city of Monte d'Or was now safe. All of the people had returned, despite the few occasional tremors that resulted from the raising of the city. This would surely be the day that almost everyone in the city of Monte d'Or would remember. This would be the day that everyone learned that the foundation of Monte d'Or consisted of loyalty and friendship.

Back at the Ledore Mansion, everyone was sitting about having tea. Alphonse Dalston was recounting a funny tale from his youth. Next to him, Emmy Altalva, the feisty assistant to Professor Layton, sat having a good laugh. Angela Ledore, a co-founder of the city of Monte d'Or, sat next to Emmy, sharing in the laughs. Henry Ledore, Angela's childhood friend and fake husband, stood next to her pouring some tea. The young Luke Triton, the self-proclaimed apprentice to Professor Layton, sat at the end, equally enthralled in the story as his adult companions. Standing in the corner of the room, Randall Ascot, the man behind the so called 'Masked Gentleman' and the presumed to be lost friend of Henry, Angela, Alphonse, stood speaking with none other than his former best friend, Professor Hershel Layton.

The pair stood examining one of the many artifacts that Henry had discovered in the ruins of Akbadain, in a chamber that Hershel and Randall had discovered nearly eighteen years prior.

"Would you look at the glyphs on this? Henry, what do you make of this piece," said Randall, turning to face Henry.

"It appears to me to be some sort of coded map, Master Randall," replied Henry.

"Another one…hmm…strange. First the wall of Norwell, and now this," asked Hershel.

"If that's the case, then we have a lot of work to do tonight, my friends," piped Randall as he turned to Henry and Hershel.

"Oh Randall, after the day that we've all had, don't you think you should rest? I'm sure Henry and Hershel want to rest as well," said Angela, gearing the conversation so that everyone in the room now looked to Randall.

"Nonsense, of course they want to help. After all, they discovered the secrets of the ruins of Akbadain. What do you say, gentleman? Are you up to the task," asked Randall.

"It would appear that we don't have much of a choice. True gentlemen never leave puzzles unsolved. Isn't that right, Luke,:" stated the professor, turning towards his apprentice.

"Right, professor," chimed Luke.

"If it would please Master Randall, then I would be obliged to help," spoke Henry in his usual soft-spoken manner.

"Then it's settled. Gentleman, prepare to rack your brains for the challenge of decoding this new map," spoke Randall as he turned to take a sip from his now half-warm tea.

"Well, you three may stay up, but I am going to sleep for tonight. It has been an exhausting day," spoke Angela.

"Emmy, Luke, Alphonse—you are all welcome to stay the night if you wish. We have plenty of room here," she said as she turned back to her guests.

"Much obliged Angela, but I believe I shall take my leave for the night. I'll return tomorrow, if you would like," Alphonse said as he got up to depart.

"Of course we want you to return," Randall announced. "We're going on an adventure tomorrow!"

"Randall, do you ever stop to think that maybe you have had enough adventures for the time being," asked Hershel.

"Of course not! There's always an adventure to be had! There are always puzzles to be solved. Honestly Hershel, has being a professor made you forget your sense of adventure," chided Randall in response to his friend's question.

"It most certainly has not. I just choose my adventures more carefully," responded Layton.

"Well, while you two have it out, I am going to politely take my leave. Thank you again, Layton, for all your help. Thank you too, Luke and Emmy," offered Dalston as he headed for the door.

"Anytime Mr. Dalston," chimed Luke. "A gentleman always helps a friend in need!"

Alphonse exchanged a firm handshake with the aspiring gentleman Luke as the others wished him a good night. Angela took Emmy and Luke to their rooms, as it was late and a long walk across the city to the Dromedary Hotel would certainly not be in their best interests. After exchanging their good nights, Randall, Henry, and Hershel were left alone in the room.

"Alright gentleman, our first order of business is to gather every one of my notes on the Azran. Henry, where are they," asked Randall.

"They are in my office at the Reunion Inn, Master Randall. I shall make arrangements to head over there, if you would like," spoke Henry.

"That would be excellent! Isn't this exciting, Hershel," asked Randall, turning to his best friend.

"We may now finally be able to decipher the meaning of the true treasure of the Azran."

"Indeed. It would appear as though a re-examination of the artifacts may shed some light on the Azran civilization," responded Hershel.

"The carriage is here to take us to the tram, Master Randall. Hershel. We may depart whenever you both are ready to go," said Henry.

"Then by all means, let the adventure begin," quipped Randall.

"Oh, and Henry—," Randall continued, "you don't need to keep calling me 'Master'. You're like my brother. There's no need for such formalities amongst brothers," he said smiling as he placed his hand on Henry's shoulder, just as Henry had done earlier to him.

"Very well Mast—Randall. If that is what you wish," responded Henry. Secretly, he was touched by what Randall had said to him. It reassured him that his friendship with Randall was so strong that it would never be broken.

"Of course! Really Henry, you sound like my butler again," said Randall as the pair walked out to the carriage, where Hershel was waiting.

"Well, it was a life that I was most accustomed to when I last saw you," responded Henry with a smile on his face.

They soon climbed into the carriage and headed north to the racetrack, the location of the nearest stop for the Monte d'Or tram. They got off at the gates and proceeded to take the tram to the Reunion Inn, which resembled a rather large castle structure. While the inn had grown to take on this grand persona, it still had a cozy feel about it. It was the most popular hotel in Monte d'Or and it was all thanks to Henry. This fact had not escaped Randall's mind, and he truly intended to thank Henry again for all that he had done, once his work was complete.


	2. A Very Emotional Discussion

Chapter 2: A Very Emotional Discussion

Once inside the hotel, Henry led Randall and Hershel to his small office, hidden deep in the corner of the lobby. Inside, there were four bookshelves lined against the back wall, creating a little library that contained tons of books, papers, and artifacts. There were smaller boxes containing other materials, and a small table with some chairs. Randall looked around at all of this, before turning his eyes to the wall on the left. It contained an identical replica of the wall that was on his bedroom back at the Ascot manor in Stansbury. Every note, every scribble that he had spent hours going over those eighteen long years ago had been preserved by Henry. Randall, once again, was truly touched by Henry's loyalty.

"Is that my wall? Are those all my notes," Randall asked.

"Yes, Randall. After founding the Reunion Inn here in Monte d'Or, I returned to Stansbury to gather up some of your most cherished possessions. I knew that you would want them here upon your return. I also realized that they would aid the search teams in helping to find you down in the ruins of Akbadain. I had the exact wall carefully removed from your room and brought here so that I could preserve your work," said Henry.

"I don't know what to say. You really did think of everything, didn't you Henry," asked Randall.

"Well, I tried my best," was Henry's humble response.

Randall continued to look around the room. His eyes eventually caught sight of a desk. The desk, besides being littered with miscellaneous papers, contained an old photograph of Henry and Randall as children. Henry was even holding the little robot that Randall had given to him when the head maid of the house was yelling at him. Randall remembered it like it was yesterday.

_He_ _had been going up to his room after returning from a walk outside. He spotted his bedroom door open. Inside, he saw the head maid of the house, Ms. Roswell, scolding Henry for playing with Randall's favorite toy robot. Henry stood in front of her, crying and apologizing. Hating to see his friend be reprimanded over something so trivial, Randall decided to enter the room and put his foot down._

"_Oh hello. Sorry to disturb you young Master Randall," said a startled Ms. Roswell to Randall._

"_Why did you take Henry's toy," Randall asked Ms. Roswell._

"_Young Master Randall, I think you are mistaken. This is yours," responded Ms. Roswell as she held the robot._

"_No, this is the robot I gave to Henry," replied Randall as he grabbed the robot out of her hands and gave it back to Henry. He then got behind Ms. Roswell and pushed her towards the door. "Now, if you'll excuse us," Randall said; "I have half a mind to report you to the master of the house," he mimicked as he pushed her out the door._

"_Alright, alright, I'm going," said Ms. Roswell as Randall shut the door behind her. He then turned around and saw Henry standing there, holding the robot out to him._

"_Master Randall, can you please forgive me for playing with your toy," asked Henry softly, eyes still slightly watery._

"_Henry," began Randall in his usual happy demeanor, "it's yours now." Henry looked shocked at Randall's response. He stood frozen for a few seconds before he thought of what to say._

"_But, Master Randall, it's your favorite," said Henry._

"_Uh," Randall said, trying to think of a response. "Well, now it's your favorite. How many toys does one boy need anyway? Come on, we're going on an adventure." Randall climbed up his little ladder to his loft and grabbed his shovel. Suddenly, he heard Henry speak up from below._

"_Thank you Master Randall! I promise to take care of it and always treasure it," said Henry, clutching the little robot as if his life depended on it._

_At that, Randall smiled, glad to see that he had brought such happiness to his friend. "Let's find some more treasure. What do you say?"_

_Henry smiled and nodded, and followed Randall around the room as they embarked on their newest adventure, which concluded with them setting up a camera tripod and taking a picture to commemorate their friendship._

Randall came out of his little reminiscing moment and continued to look at the desk. Next to the photo, Randall spotted the little robot. Randall smiled when he saw it. At that, he then turned to his best friends and began barking orders in his usual manner.

"Alright, gentlemen, let's get started, shall we," offered Randall.

Henry went about the room grabbing any seemingly relevant notes that he had catalogued on the particular artifact in question. Hershel and Randall sat down at the table, and Hershel took the artifact out of his pocket, where it had safely sat during the ride from the Ledore mansion. Henry soon joined them and the trio set out combing through note after note, hoping to find some clue as to what the glyphs could mean.

After over an hour of back and forth discussion, the trio decided that a tea break was in order. Whilst Henry was making the tea, an idea came to Randall that he hadn't thought to ask earlier in the evening.

"How do you know Descole, Hershel," asked Randall with a perplexed face.

Henry finished pouring the tea and returned to his seat. He too seemed to share Randall's question.

"Yes, Hershel, please tell us how you came to make the acquaintance of such a man," said Henry.

The great professor Hershel Layton sat in silence for a moment, puzzled at where to begin his story. After thinking about it for a moment, Hershel decided to start in the beginning, with his trip to Misthallery.

"Well, gentlemen, it is a bit of a long story," began the professor. By the time he finished his story, he had recounted the tale of Misthallery (whilst still keeping the Garden of Healing a secret), the story of the happenings that occurred with one of his former students at the Crown Petone opera house and the formerly lost city of Ambrosia, and the unshakable notion that he already knew Descole from someplace else…

Whilst detailing the events that led to several meetings between himself and Descole, Hershel Layton noticed the expressions on both Henry's and Randall's face. After he concluded his story, they all sat in silence for a moment. Suddenly, Randall spoke up as another idea popped into his head.

"Wait a moment, Ambrosia…why does that sound so familiar," Randall asked as he began combing through the notes once again.

"Indeed," Henry added. "The name does seem to ring a bell."

"I've got it," said Randall as he clutched a particular piece of his notes. "It says here that the Azran seemed to mention the city of Harmony, Ambrosia, in their remaining glyphs. I don't know what exactly the Azran used the city for, but I am almost certain that it was one of their bases. Perhaps Ambrosia was where the people lived, while Akbadain was where they stored their most valued secrets".

"It's hard to say for certain, but it would appear as though both locations were of the utmost importance to the Azran," Hershel added.

"And you were lucky enough to witness all of this? Did I not tell you that you had a future in archeology, Hershel? I think you owe me for this," said Randall triumphantly.

"Consider the fact that I helped you to realize all that Henry did for you as my repayment," Hershel answered wisely.

"Fine, you got me. But I will hold this against you for the rest of your life, just so you know," chided Randall.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," said Hershel. And it's true. After having thought his best friend was dead for all these years, he felt that Randall mocking him was almost refreshing. He hadn't had Randall's spirited friendship for so long, so a little teasing here and there would be permitted. After all, they had to make up for lost time. Suddenly, Hershel was drawn out of his train of thought by Henry, who had turned to address him directly.

"Hershel, I must apologize for the way I have treated you all of these years," said Henry.

Stunned, Hershel asked, "Why, Henry, what do you mean?"

"I mean the way in which I have always held you in great suspicion. First, after your move to Stansbury, I kept my distance from you, thinking that you were trouble. Then, after you and Randall set off into the ruins of Akbadain, and after you returned home without him, I blamed you for his death. I mistook your inability to talk to me or Angela as a sign that you did not care about what had happened. Your subsequent move from Stansbury, while understandable, did not make me think any better of you. For all of this, I am truly sorry," he concluded.

Hershel sat in silence for a moment, absorbing the weight of what Henry had just admitted to him. "Apology accepted, Henry. I hope that we can put the past behind us and move forward as friends."

"I would like that very much," said Henry.

"Wait a minute," began Randall once again, "why did you leave Stansbury so soon, Hershel?"

At that, Henry and Hershel both exchanged a glance. It would seem that they both realized that, at some point, Randall would want to know in detail all that had transpired since his disappearance eighteen years ago. While they had tried their best to explain things earlier, there were certain pieces of information that they had left out of the story. They realized that they might upset Randall further. Seeing the look on his face now, however, dissolved their resolution to keep some items secret. Randall needed to know the truth.

"Where to begin is the question," Hershel started. "I suppose I should tell you both what happened after Randall fell into the chasm in the ruins of Akbadain. I found the supposed treasure that we had initially set out to find. I took only one coin of it, however; after watching what I thought was your death, Randall, finding the treasure seemed like such a meaningless task. So, I made my way behind the treasure to a hidden door, which contained a set of passages that eventually led me to outside the ruins. Once outside, I looked about, but could not find the source of the running water that you and I had heard earlier. At that, I walked back in the direction that I thought we had arrived from, and I kept walking for hours. I did not reach the outskirts of Stansbury until the sun had begun to set. It was there that I found Henry and Angela waiting for us."

"Waiting," Randall asked.

"Yes, Randall," Henry began. "Angela had been so nervous that entire day; I was beginning to grow concerned. I offered to wait with her on the outskirts of Stansbury so she would not be out there alone, after dark. From time to time we talked, and she mostly asked my opinion of where I thought you both would be. It was not until we saw Hershel come down the hill that I knew something was amiss. Angela ran up to Hershel and asked him where you were—"

"It was then that I told her that you were gone," Hershel interrupted. "Having to tell her that haunts me to this day."

"Indeed. The memory of her sobbing seems to have been ingrained in my mind as well," said Henry.

There was a brief moment of silence, before Hershel continued with his story.

"After I told Angela that you were gone, I found that I could not speak about the exact details of your 'death', or even the details of all that we had discovered. I did not even talk about the treasure. It all seemed so irrelevant in comparison to what had transpired."

"I will admit that I too was in shock," Henry interjected as Hershel seemed to get lost in a sea of memories. "I tried asking Hershel what exactly happened, but I could see that he was too in shock to really give much explanation of anything. So, I acknowledged that he must tell Lord and Lady Ascot. At that, I do believe that the three of us resolved to tell your parents together. And so, we went back to Stansbury. Angela was crying along the entire way, while Hershel and I were silent. When we arrived at your house, well—" Henry paused.

"That is when your father screamed at Henry and I. It took a while for me to be able to speak to what had happened, but when I told them, your father seemed to enter into some sort of hate fuelled rage. He blamed me for what had happened to you, and I must say I blamed myself as well. He also blamed Henry for what had happened—"

"You, Henry," asked Randall, in shock.

"Yes. While your father blamed Hershel for being the one who let you fall into that chasm, he also blamed me for encouraging your expedition and for bringing you the horse and cart for your journey, without permission. I was dismissed immediately. After that, your father spent all his fortune sending search parties down into the ruins to look for your body. They always returned empty handed," said Henry.

"Yes, your father went to great strides to look for you," Hershel interjected. "As time went by, however, many people began to lose hope. It seems that Stansbury would never be the same without you, Randall. Angela hardly left her house for weeks, as did I. None of us spoke to each other. People around town seemed to fear your father's wrath, and so they did not say much to me. I decided that it was time for me to leave Stansbury. I was accepted into Gressenheller University's archeology program, and so I left for London."

"And I remained in Stansbury long enough to gather your notes and go into the ruins of Akbadain for myself. I used what research you had done to find the treasure and found Monte d'Or. The rest, I'm afraid, is all history," said Henry.

After both Hershel and Henry had finished talking, they looked to Randall. He sat in stunned silence for a couple of minutes, before finally managing to find the words that he wanted to say.

"I am so sorry. To both of you. I put you all through so much pain. I should have never insisted on going on that expedition."

"Nonsense," said Hershel. "Randall, although your disappearance did shatter each of us in a way, it also gave each of us a new purpose in our lives. I took to studying archeology like you always hoped I would. Henry took to founding this amazing city in your name, with Angela's assistance, to honor your eventual return. Clearly, you meant a great deal to each of us, so it wouldn't be wise to wish that misfortune had never happened. If that were the case, all of the good things that have happened since then would not exist, and the people we are today would not be the same."

"Agreed. Randall, what happened eighteen years ago was painful for all of us, but Hershel is right. It helped to shape our characters for the better. So, for the second time today, please stop apologizing. Nothing was your fault," said Henry.

"I don't know what to say. I guess I never knew I would mean this much to so many people," Randall mused.

"Well, you do. It would be wise of you to remember that from now on," Hershel said.

"I'll try," said Randall. "Oh, it's almost midnight. Do you think we can continue working on this latest puzzle tomorrow?"

"Certainly," said Henry.

"Well, I would like to offer my assistance, but I must depart soon. It would be ungentlemanly of me to withhold my students from their teacher," said Hershel, half apologetically and half relieved.

"Come now, Hershel. You must stay to see Angela and I get married," Randall exclaimed.

"Married? Already," Hershel asked, dumbfounded.

"Well, we've waited eighteen years. I'd say that's enough, wouldn't you," Randall asked triumphantly.

"Have you asked Miss Angela this yet, Randall," Henry asked.

"Oh yeah…about that…well I'm sure she'll say yes. She will say yes, don't you think?" Randall looked at them with hopeful eyes, waiting for their reassurance.

At that, both Hershel and Henry stood up to depart. Hershel had to keep from rolling his eyes. Of course Angela would say yes. After all, she had waited eighteen years in a false marriage just so she could be ready to marry him upon his return. Randall's sudden apprehension was rather out of character for him, although it was slightly laughable.

"I'm sure she will say yes, Randall," Henry offered.

"Okay good. Now, gentlemen, we have a wedding to plan," said Randall in his usual enthusiastic way.

"How about we just plan on getting some sleep for the night? We'll worry about this tomorrow morning," Hershel dictated as they climbed back onto the Monte d'Or tram.

"Well, alright," Randall conceded. "But we will discuss this tomorrow! I'm going to need my best friends there for moral support"

"Randall, you make marriage sound like a game yet to he won," said Hershel. Of both he and Henry, Hershel had always been the one to confront Randall in order to keep his enthusiasm for life at a reasonable level. Henry, on the other hand, had always been the one to support Randall, even though he too knew a few ways to persuade Randall to change his mind, should the circumstances call for it.

"Oh really. And when were you ever married, Hershel," Randall asked sarcastically.

"Never," was Hershel's brief response. His eyes seemed to glaze over as he got lost in his memories for several moments. Both Henry and Randall noticed the sudden change in demeanor. Never one to like unsolved puzzles, Randall ventured out on a limb and asked Hershel what was on his mind. Henry, never one to unnecessarily pry into other people's lives, shot Randall a look that said 'you shouldn't have said anything'.

"I'm fine, gentlemen," Hershel responded.

"I see….what I find hard to believe is that you do not even have a girlfriend. I mean honestly Hershel, have you ever even had one girlfriend who you were in love with," asked Randall rather conspicuously.

"Yes, there was one girl," Hershel responded.

"Well, what happened? Did she leave you for your refusal to remove the top hat," Randall asked half-jokingly.

"No. She was killed in a failed science experiment at the hands of her lab partners. She and I were going to get married. And she is the one who gave me this hat," Hershel answered in a monotone.

At that, Randall and Henry were both shocked into silence. While they both new loss, neither knew that type of loss. It left them speechless, as they tried to fathom what it would be like to lose someone you love forever, and not just for eighteen years. After recovering from his stunned silence, Randall spoke up.

"I am so sorry, Hershel. I had no idea. I shouldn't have said anything."

"It's alright, Randall. It's all in the past now," said Hershel understandingly.

The three gentlemen sat in silence for the rest of the tram ride to the racetrack and for the entirety of the carriage ride back to the Ledore mansion. When they arrived at the mansion, they each wished the others a good night, before departing for some much needed rest. After all that had happened, none of them had expected to have this little heart-to-heart, but they were thankful that they had done so. It had brought these three gentlemen closer as friends.


	3. An Early Morning Adventure

Chapter 3: An Early Morning Adventure

Early the next morning, professor Hershel Layton was awakened by a rather loud voice. He opened his eyes to see Randall opening the curtains in the room. This let the light in from the east-facing window. While Hershel was never one to sleep the day away, he did wish that Randall hadn't woken him up for a few more hours. After all that had transpired yesterday, a little extra sleep would have been nice to have today; however, as long as Randall was around, there was no rest to be had. He was always leading them on another adventure.

"Randall, what are you doing up so early," asked Hershel.

"Why, I'm getting you up so we can go on an adventure today, just like I said," answered Randall with a triumphant grin plastered all over his face.

"Hmmm. Very well. There's no sense in going back to sleep now," began Hershel. "Randall, I do hope this 'adventure' is an important one."

"Of course it is! You and Henry are going to help me plan a proposal to Angela," Randall exclaimed, still grinning.

"I see," Hershel murmured as he got out of bed and dressed into his usual suit and top hat.

The pair left the room and walked through the hall, down the stairs, and out the back door in the kitchen to the gardens. There, they found Henry, already awake and pruning some of the shrubs.

"Good morning, Randall. Hershel. It is a lovely morning today, isn't it," said Henry. It was true; this morning was not only lovely for its beautiful weather, but it was also lovely for serving its role as the first day of rediscovering old friendships. They all seemed to acknowledge this internally.

"Henry, put down the pruning shears. We have an adventure that awaits us." This seemed to be Randall's catchphrase for the morning.

"And what does today's adventure entail, Randall? Finding more treasure," Henry asked.

"In a way, yes," Randall began. "You and Hershel are going to help me plan my proposal to Angela."

"I see," Henry started. "Then might I suggest we start out before the others awaken? I presume this is to be a surprise."

"An excellent suggestion! Let's set out, shall we, gentleman,: asked Randall.

The three gentleman left the Ledore mansion and headed south to the Gallery Plaza. Once there, Randall realized something he had yet to think of.

"Henry, are there any jewelry shops in town?"

"There are several. It depends on the quality that you are seeking," Henry responded.

"Well, the best would be ideal," said Randall.

"In that case, might I suggest the Rajah's Treasure? A man by the name of Kalil runs the store entirely on his own and he makes all of the pieces by hand," Henry offered.

"That sounds like an ideal place to start," Hershel said.

The trio continued to walk west towards the merchant district. There, Henry led them to a small storefront with curtained windows. Inside, several jewelry cases were set up around the room. A small man sat on a stool towards the back, inspecting a bracelet he had just forged in gold.

"Good day gentleman," the man said as he glanced up quickly. "I'll be with you in just a moment."

"There's no rush," said Henry. At that, the man recognized the voice and immediately looked up.

"Ah, Mr. Ledore, welcome back! I see you've brought company."

"Yes, I have. And thank you Kalil. This is my friend Randall Ascot and my friend Hershel Layton. We are here to help Randall pick out an engagement ring," Henry said.

"Well, welcome to you both. I have many rings here. Tell me whichever ones you would like to see and I will take them out so you may get a better look," said Kalil.

The trio spent close to the next hour analyzing jewelry. None of them had all that much experience in choosing jewelry for women, so it proved to be a formidable task. After much deliberation, Randall narrowed his choice down to two rings; one had sapphires and diamonds wrapped all the way around the ring. The other consisted of a twisted gold band with two garnets surrounded by diamonds at the center. Unable to decide, he turned to his friends and asked for help.

"What do you think she'll like," he asked.

"Whatever you pick out, Randall. I have never known her to be picky about such things," said Hershel.

"Indeed. She will adore anything that comes from you, Randall," Henry offered.

"Hmm…I believe I shall get her this one," said Randall as he held up the garnet ring. At that, Kalil went to package the ring. Once the purchase was completed, the trio exited the store before deciding where to go next.

"Henry," Randall began, "do you know where I can get any flowers? Women like flowers, right?"

"Yes, women do enjoy flowers. And you may get some from my gardens. Angela's favorite flowers grow there," Henry offered.

"Excellent," said Randall. "Now, where shall I propose to her? Everything has to be perfect."

"Randall, you must relax. Everything will be fine. I'm certain Angela will adore whatever you do or say. Honestly, why are you being so apprehensive," Hershel asked.

"Because I'm finally going to ask her to marry me like I had planned on doing eighteen years ago. This is my chance to get everything right; it's my chance to make up for lost time," Randall admitted honestly.

"Well, don't let your nerves get the better of you, Randall. As Hershel has pointed out, everything will be fine," said Henry as he placed his hand on Randall's shoulder.

"I hope you're right," said Randall.


	4. An Afternoon Proposal

Chapter 4: An Afternoon Proposal

By the time the men arrived back at the Ledore Mansion, it was almost ten in the morning. Both Henry and Hershel agreed to help Randall plan his surprise proposal to Angela. It was decided that Henry would go and gather Angela's favorite flowers to make a nice bouquet; at the same time, Hershel would help Randall stage a lunch as a distraction, while letting Angela know that she would be needed outside. This way, they hoped they would catch her completely by surprise. So, as soon as they arrived back in the mansion, they set their plan into action.

Henry went to work in his garden, gathering the flowers for the bouquet. He also set up flowers around a little bench nestled in some trees way in the corner of the estate. He knew Angela loved to come here and he suggested that Randall wait for her at this spot. As this was happening, Hershel helped distract everyone with a round of games in the parlor, before suggesting that they all retreat to the dining room for lunch. By this time, Alphonse Dalston had returned, so the group consisted of him, Hershel, Luke, Emmy, Angela, and Lady Ascot. As they all got up to move to the dining room, Hershel stopped Angela.

"Angela, Henry asked me to tell you that he needs to speak with you outside, by your favorite spot in the gardens," said Hershel.

"He did? That's very unlike him, but I shall go see what he needs to discuss with me. Thank you, Hershel. Lunch will be served in a few minutes, if you don't mind waiting in the dining room," said Angela kindly.

"Of course! Anything for a lady," said Hershel as they walked out of the room and parted ways. Once he reached the dining room and sat down, Luke turned to him and whispered a question.

"Where is Angela, Professor?"

"She'll be with us momentarily, Luke," said the professor.

Meanwhile, in the garden, Angela was walking towards her favorite spot. It was a little bench that Henry had built for her. The bench sat between two trees that offered welcome shade during the sunny desert days. She often found herself going there when she wished to be alone. It served as her own little sanctuary amidst the giant estate. Once she arrived there, Angela almost gasped at the sight.

Randall stood in front of the bench, holding a bouquet of lilies, foxgloves, roses, and several other flowers that she recognized as belonging to Henry's gardens. Around him, the bench was decorated in flowering vines and loose flower petals. As soon as she approached the slightly hidden area, Randall found the courage to speak.

"Angela, these are for you," Randall began as he offered her the flowers and held her hand, before leading them to sit down on the bench. Once seated, Randall took both of her hands in his, before beginning his speech again.

"Angela, I have known you almost my entire life, and throughout that time, you have been the only woman I have ever loved. I know this has been a long time coming, and I understand, after all this time has passed, that you may no longer want to be with me. I also understand that you may not want to be with me after everything terrible that I did; but, I want you to know that no matter what you decide, I will always love you. I loved you as a child, I loved you as a teenager, and I still love you as the man I am today. So, Angela, will you grant me the honor of having your hand in marriage?"

As he said this, Randall got off of the bench and down on one knee and presented Angela with the two-headed garnet ring. At this, Angela began to get teary eyed, but she responded with a voice as calm and level-headed as always.

"Yes, Randall. I would be honored to be your wife," Angela answered, smiling despite the tears of joy that threatened to run down her pale cheeks.

As soon as Randall slipped the ring onto her finger, he quickly grabbed her by the waist, picked her up, and spun her around in a giant hug. He then set her down and kissed her for the first time in eighteen years. At that moment, he felt whole again.

Back in the mansion, lunch had begun and everyone, including Henry, was seated around the table. By now the others had noticed that Randall and Angela were absent, and they were about to get up and look for them when the two in question came bursting through the door. Well, Randall came bursting through the door, full of excitement, while Angela walked in, calmly as always.

"Everybody, she said yes! I asked Angela to marry me and she said yes! We have a wedding to plan! Isn't this great! I want you all there," Randall exclaimed in his usual hurried fashion.

At the announcement, everyone sat momentarily shocked before Henry spoke up.

"Congratulations, Randall and Angela! May you always be happy together!"

Right then, everyone chimed in with their congratulatory remarks. Lady Ascot was thrilled, and offered her son and soon to be daughter-in-law hugs from her wheelchair. Soon, everyone sat down for lunch. Randall never let go of Angela's hand for the remainder of the lunch. Just as everyone was finishing up, Luke suddenly posed a question to everyone seated at the table.

"Now, forgive me for asking this, but what are you going to do about Mr. Ledore's fake marriage to Angela?"

Henry spoke up. "It has already been taken care of, Luke. Everything of my possession has transferred ownership to Randall, and that includes my artificial marriage certificate. Everything is now truly prepared for Randall's return."

"You know, I hadn't even thought of that. Thank you for asking, Luke. And Henry, thank you again for taking care of all of that. You didn't need to do all of that," said Randall.

"Yes, I did, Randall. That's what friends do," said Henry.

After that, Randall was so elated that he proposed going out for an afternoon of building friendships. To that, everyone agreed and accompanied him to the gardens. Lady Ascot, however remained indoors, while the others ventured out. They eventually made their way to the tram that took them to the Reunion Inn. Once there, Randall resumed his usual childish antics with Hershel by insisting that Hershel remove his top hat.

"Come on, Hershel! Let me try it on for a minute! What are you hiding under there anyways? Puzzles," Randall asked as he got behind Hershel and tried to grab his hat. Hershel held the brim down and kept trying to push Randall off of him.

"Randall, stop it," said Hershel.

"What's the matter? Are you trying to his a bald spot or something? Considering how wild your hair was eighteen years ago, I find it hard to believe," said Randall, still trying to reach for the top hat.

"I most certainly am not, Randall," said the great professor. "I just prefer to keep my hat on."

At that moment, Emmy decided a picture was in order. Luckily enough, she caught it at just the right moment. Angela was standing to the far left, hand covering her mouth as she laughed at the spectacle. Next to her, Hershel ducked down holding his hat as Randall reached behind him to try to take the hat. Alphonse stood behind and to the right of the two, while Luke stood in front of him next to Alphonse's dog. At the far right end, Henry, too, was seen laughing at the site as he held the little toy robot in his hands. This was truly a perfect photograph to keep.

After their little photograph fun, they all went into town together. Henry, Angela, and Alphonse gave Professor Layton, Luke, Emmy, and Randall the official tour of Monte d'Or. By this time, news had spread of yesterday's events involving the Masked Gentleman. The truth of Randall's identity as the man behind the mask did not deter the local people from welcoming him with open arms. It would seem that even the citizens embodied Monte d'Or's spirit of friendship. During the tour, they went to almost the entire city. Of course, Randall insisted on going on the roller coaster at the amusement park. After all, as he liked to say, 'no risk, no glory'. Once their long walk around the city was completed, they returned to the Ledore mansion (now the Ascot mansion) for another dinner. Again, they all were happy to spend time together as friends.


	5. A Heartfelt Thanks

Chapter 5: A Heartfelt Thanks

After dinner had concluded, Alphonse Dalston and his dog took their leave for the evening. Soon, Professor Hershel Layton, Luke, and Emmy also got up to leave. Before departing, Randall stopped them.

"Must you leave tomorrow? We've got so many more adventures to start," Randall whined.

"I'm afraid so. We will, however, be back soon enough for your wedding," said Hershel.

"Fair enough. Hey, before you depart tomorrow, we'll meet you at the Dromedary. We want to see you off in person," said Randall.

"That would be most kind of you," Hershel offered. "Thank you all again."

"Yes, thank you all so much. It has been wonderful getting to meet the professor's friends," said Emmy.

"You are most welcome," said Angela. "We shall see you tomorrow morning before you depart.

After that, Layton, Luke, and Emmy left the Ledore mansion and headed back to their hotel to pack before their early journey tomorrow. It was now just Angela, Randall, and Henry. As Randall went to put his arm around Angela, he noticed that Henry had suddenly put on a coat and grabbed a suitcase. Perplexed, he reached out and stopped his friend before he left the mansion.

"Henry, where on Earth are you going," said Randall.

"Why, I'm going to the Reunion Inn. I'm going to live there from now on," said Henry.

"But, why," asked Randall, who was utterly confused by Henry's sudden attempted departure.

"Well, everything I owned I only owned for you, Randall. I was merely holding your place. Now that you have returned, I am no longer needed here. I shall return to the inn and remain there until I can afford a place to live on my own."

Randall stood speechless for a moment, before suddenly speaking in an unusually quick manner.

"Henry, that's nonsense! You are needed here, even if I've returned. I still have no idea about all of the things that I now own, and I need you to show me how to help run Monte d'Or. Besides, I would never kick you out. You are my brother; you are my family and I would never force you to leave, especially after you built this entire city for me. Please, Henry, won't you consider staying with Angela and I," Randall pleaded.

"Why, I don't quite know what to say," said Henry, this time the one struck almost speechless.

"Then say yes," Randall half-suggested, half-demanded.

"But Randall…Miss Angela…this is your home. I could never invade your privacy like that," said Henry humbly.

At this, Randall was about to continue his argument, when he suddenly heard Angela speak up from beside him.

"Henry Ledore, after all you have done to take care of me over the years, and after all you have done to provide both Randall and I with a good life, there is no way I am letting you walk out that door. You mean too much to me as a friend and I will not be happy until you agree to stay with us. After all, this is as much your home as it is ours. So, please stay, my friend?"

At this, Henry was again almost speechless. While he had tried hard to give Angela a happy life while they waited for Randall to return, he never once realized that she considered him as a friend. That meant more to him than anyone would ever know. Once again touched by all his life-long friends had done for him, Henry found no way in which he could refuse any longer.

"If it would make you happy, my dear friend Angela, I would be honored to remain with you and Randall," said Henry.

As soon as Henry finished talking, Angela did something very uncharacteristic of her. She whole-heartedly placed her arms around his neck and hugged him. He was slightly shocked for a moment, but he returned the hug. Seeing the way in which Angela had gotten through to Henry, Randall realized that he truly had an amazing fiancée and an amazing brother, who not only cared about him, but who cared about each other as well. He couldn't take it anymore; so, Randall joined in on the hug and the three of them stood there hugging for all that they had thought they'd lost and all that they had regained: a family.


End file.
